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How to Learn — When You Are in the Beginning Stage

Writer: Nathan BelcherNathan Belcher
Feb 88 min read

Updated: Feb 11

Learning a new complex set of knowledge and skills is both scary and exciting: Scary because you are adventuring into the unknown; exciting because the unknown holds great potential. 


Many people get stuck in the beginning stage. They do not understand the basics of learning or the learning process, setting themselves up to fail before they start. They waste time and energy on the new topic or skill, middling along with slow progress. Feeling frustrated and defeated by a lack of progress, they give up — with little success and learning from the time and energy. 


However, there are ways to progress through the beginning stage of the new topic or skill and move into the intermediate stage:

  • Understand the basics of learning.

  • Create a solid foundation of basic models for concepts — knowledge and skills.

  • Acknowledge and deal with challenges in the learning process.


With this guide you can use your time and energy well, developing a solid foundation for your complex knowledge and skills — progressing to the intermediate stage!


 

Note: As you read this article, please think about a complex set of knowledge and skills that you are in the beginning stage of learning. Anytime you see the words “knowledge,” “skill,” or “concept,” think about your specific learning. This article is written for any type of learning, but you will get more out of the article by thinking about the information in the context of your learning.


 

The Basics of Learning


Model for a Concept

Every piece of information in your knowledge and skills are encoded and organized into models for concepts.


Your brain uses your senses to collect information, then processes this information into small chunks called schema; a schema is defined as the “basic unit of knowledge that relates to all aspects of the world.” Related schemata (the plural of schema) can be combined into a model for a concept. 


A model for a concept can be defined as “a set of organized schemata for a concept that can be used to explain parts of the concept or predict outcomes from the concept.” 


Both parts of the definition for a model for a concept are important: 

  • The model for a concept explains the schemata and the relationships between the schemata.

  • Using the schemata and relationships between the schemata, the model for a concept predicts outcomes in the imagined or real world.


As a beginner, your initial model for a concept will be weak; you have a small amount of information about the concept, so you have a small amount of schemata. This is completely normal: You are a beginner! The next step is to gather more information — knowledge and skills — for the concept, organizing the information into a more elaborate models for concepts.



Learning

Although there are many definitions of learning, let’s use this definition: “Learning is the process of creating, modifying, linking, and applying models for concepts.”


This definition of learning flows from our definition of a model for a concept: All pieces of information our bodies and brains collect and process are encoded in models for concepts. These pieces of information are used in four ways:

  • Create a new model.

  • Modify an existing model.

  • Link multiple models.

  • Apply a model.


Each of the four ways changes our current models for concepts — leading to a deeper understanding within a concept and making connections across concepts.


(For a more in-depth explanation of learning, read this article: That’s How Learning Works?!?! A Comprehensive Model for Understanding the Learning Process.)



Foundation of Basic Models for Concepts

Every set of complex knowledge and skills comes from a series of simpler knowledge and skills. 


As a beginner, you do not have much information for either the complex or simpler knowledge or skills. Experts make the complex knowledge or skill seem easy, but the expert has internalized the simpler knowledge and skills to the point of automatic recall through practice. Through observation, resources, and practice, you can get information about the simpler knowledge and skills.


Your goal is to gather and organize basic information for the simpler knowledge and skills into models for concepts — these models will create a solid foundation for the complex knowledge and skills, allowing your learning to progress.



How do you gather and organize basic information into models for concepts?


Idea #1: Use available resources.

Many resources exist about almost every set of complex or simple knowledge and skills: Videos, articles, books, and coaches. As you use a resource, make observations and take notes. Record the information, then organize the information; instead of getting lost in the details from a resource, the goal is to get broad themes. These broad themes are very important as a beginner because they allow you to make progress — the details become more important as you move to the intermediate and advanced stages.


Idea #2: Find common traits between resources.

As you take notes from your resources, you will begin to notice similarities and differences between the resources. Information shared by many resources is a good indicator that the information is part of the basic understanding for a topic or skill, so make a special note of the common information. As in Idea #1, focus on the broad themes from each resource.


Idea #3: Organize the information.

As you collect information from your resources, organize the information into a model for a concept. Take the information you collected about a specific concept, then organize the information in some way: A list, a map, a story, a diagram, or another way. After organizing the information for one model for a concept, do the same for another model for a concept. Then do another set of organizing, writing similarities and differences between the models for concepts. 


Idea #4: Make and test predictions through practice and performance.

Learning happens when we explain and predict from our models for concepts. The first three ideas are for the explain part; this idea is for the predict part. As you use the models for concepts in practice and performance, you make predictions. Sometimes these predictions give the expected result, but many times the predictions will NOT give the expected result — this is normal because you are a beginner! No matter if the prediction does or does not give the expected result, reflect on the information that led to the prediction: Either revise the information in your model for a concept or enjoy the success!



The Learning Process

Learning a new set of complex knowledge and skills is challenging — especially as a beginner.


By acknowledging the challenges in the learning process, you can reframe your mindset about the learning process: Instead of seeing the learning process as a despairing slog, you can see the learning process as a hopeful opportunity. Even when reframing your mindset around the learning process, there are ways to increase the progress of your learning. 


How do you use the learning process to make progress?


Idea #1: Know that you will get overwhelmed.

A theory of learning — called Cognitive Load Theory — says that our working memory can only hold 5 plus/minus 2 “chunks” of information [1]. If there are more than 7 chunks of information the brain becomes overwhelmed and has to get rid of some information, causing you to miss parts of the knowledge or skill and make mistakes. As a beginner, your chunks of information — the simple models for concepts — are loosely organized. This means you can only hold a small amount of information in your working memory; however, as you organize and consolidate simple models for concepts into more complex models for concepts, you can hold more information in your working memory. You will be less overwhelmed and make fewer mistakes when you have more information organized into complex models for concepts — this shows you progressing in your learning!


Idea #2: Check your performance state.

A performance state is the set of feelings you have when you practice and perform. As a beginner, the complex topic or skill can easily surpass your knowledge and skills — leading to frustration and anxiety when practicing or performing. Frustration and anxiety are expected, so the way you handle these feelings is important: By seeing these feelings as “proof” that you will never make progress, you can spiral into negativity; by seeing these feelings as a part of the learning journey, you can spiral into hopeful opportunity. Choosing to view these feelings as an opportunity allows you to accept that you will make mistakes, then use the mistakes for learning. In addition, viewing these feelings an an opportunity allows for celebration when you have success — helping you gain confidence with each win.


Idea #3: Make a high-quality practice plan.

Gathering and organizing information into models for concepts is important, but the models for concepts must be used through practice. Practice time is precious, so practice must be properly structured: A high level of intensity and effort; blocked, spaced, and interleaved models for concepts; and, time for reflection. Each of these contributes to high-quality practice, allowing you to more quickly progress from the beginning stage to the intermediate stage. (For a more in-depth look at practice, read my article titled Stuck in a Performance Plateau?.)


Idea #4: Perform the models for concepts at regular intervals.

Although practice and performance both apply the models for concepts in the same way, the psychological pressure between practice and performance is different. The difference comes from the desired outcome — judgement for practice is (usually) on the process, but judgement for a performance is based on an outcome. The judgment on an outcome can shift your performance state, changing your ability to use the models for concepts. Using the models for concepts under the pressure of an outcome helps you really know the state of your models for concepts — leading to more practice and performance.



Summary

Learning in the beginning stage is challenging, but you can you can make progress by understanding the basics of learning, creating a solid foundation of models for concepts, and managing the learning process.


Each of these three parts is important, setting a solid foundation for future learning of the complex set of knowledge and skills. As you integrate these parts into your learning, you will gain confidence in your learning — progressing to the intermediate stage!


 

Next Actions


Now that you know have a guide for learning in the beginning stage, here are some questions to consider:

  • How do these definitions of a “model for a concept” and “learning” compare to your current definitions?

  • How do you typically gather information? How does your information-gathering process compare to the article’s description of the information-gathering process?

  • How do you currently think about the learning process? How do your ideas about the learning process compare to the article’s description of the learning process?


Let me know your answers to any of these questions by completing a message in the "About" section of this website; I would love to hear from you!


 

Notes


[1] Created by John Sweller in the 1980s, the full version of the Cognitive Load Theory has much more information about the brain’s processing ability. This article focuses on a small part of the full theory; for more information on the rest of the theory, see the reference below.


 

References

 
 
 

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